Group Size
Min. 2 Pax
Trip Grade
Moderate
Best Season
March - May/September - November
Accommodation
Hotel/Lodge/Home Stay
Max Elevation
3,700 m
Meals
Full Board on Trek
Transportation
Private Vehicle Jeep/Car
Trip Route: Soti Khola - Jagat - Lokpa - Mu Gomba - Rachen Gompa - Ripchet - Jagat - Soti Khola
Trip Overview
- Best trail for experiencing the regions reflecting the different face of the dry Himalayas, the majestic Manaslu region, highlighting the Tsum Valley.
- View of the majestic Manaslu and Annapurna mountain ranges throughout the trail.
- Exploring the parts untouched by modernization and technology and an opportunity to view the authentic lifestyle and culture of the local people here.
- Himalayan culture and tradition exploration in the central barren mountains of Nepal
- Amazing landscape, with some high passes to add flavor to your trek every day.
- Witnessing Himalayan wildlife, mountain birds, beautiful wildflowers and vegetation from a close range.
- Visiting Monasteries, stupas and chortens throughout the trek which reflects the influence of Tibetan Buddhism in these areas.
- Natural scenery, Landscape and the snow-capped range view uniquely delightful from any other part in Nepal
- Yak and Chauri delicacies with the taste of the local cuisine
- Picturesque path and surrounding, a photographer’s paradise in the most amazing landscapes of the world.
- Adventure packed destination with unique trekking experiences.
Tsum Valley Trek is one of the pristine adventures in the lesser-traveled trails of Manaslu giving you the best cultural and scenic delights of the central Himalayas. The remote villages and the beautiful monasteries here is blessed by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) himself. The mesmerizing nature, breathtaking landscape, and the Tsum culture and tradition exploration here make this trip an escapade of a lifetime. These remote villages were restricted till opened recently in 2008 AD. You can get authentic and undiluted culture and tradition in the Hidden gem of the Himalayas, the Tsum valley.
Discover the secrets of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gompas, Chortens, Mani walls, and prayer flags in the scenic barren Tsum valley here. Taking you near the Ganesh, Siringi, Manaslu, and Boudha Himal ranges, every day gives you a fantastic view of landscape and Himalayas. The Tsumbas will welcome you with big smiles and happy faces, and you can end the days with local rice beer and thick butter tea. With a strong influence of the tradition and lifestyle from northern Tibet, these settlements of Tsum write their own story in anyone's travel diary. The destinations, intermediate settlements, Buddhist monasteries, snow-capped peaks, mountain streams, waterfalls, raging Budi Gandaki, and all the other constituents makes this trek one of its kind in the world. This trail in the shades of the Manaslu circuit gives a reflection of the whole different culture and art of living in the Himalayas. So, prepare yourself for cultural and scenic thrills in the central Himalayas with Himalayan Pic Du Midi.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival at TIA Kathmandu & Transfer to Hotel
Day 02: Kathmandu sightseeing Tour, Preparation for the Trek
Day 03: Drive to Arkhet Bazaar/Soti Khola (700m)
Day 04: Soti Khola to Machha Khola (870m)
Day 05: Maccha Khola to Jagat (1340m)
Day 06: Jagat to Lokpa (1940m)
Day 07: Lokpa to Chumling (2385m)
Day 08: Chumling to Chhekamparo (3030m)
Day 09: Chhekamparo to Nile (3360m)
Day 10: Nile to Mu Gompa (3700m) and Back Nile (3360m)
Day 11: Nile to Chhekamparo (3030m)
Day 12: Chhekamparo to Lokpa (1940m)
Day 13: Lokpa to Jagat (1340)
Day 14: Jagat to Machha Khola (870m)
Day 15: Macchakhola to Soti Khola (700m)
Day 16: Trek to Arughat (610m) and drive to Kathmandu
Day 17: Bhaktapur City Tour
Day 18: Departure
Day to Day Itinerary
After your arrival at Kathmandu, our representative will approach you at the arrival section with a placard. You will then drive to the hotel in Thamel with him/her in a cab. Visit us in our office for a short orientation session of Tsum Valley trek and stroll around your hotel in the evening. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Today will be a trek preparation day for you as you will spend your spare time visiting the UNESCO heritage sites of Kathmandu. Start your day visiting the Bashantpur/(Kathmandu) durbar square near to your hotel. Visit the ancient monuments in the square. You can also try some snacks here. The second destination for today lies about 5 km west of Kathmandu, the Swyambhunath stupa. Visited by both Hindu and Buddhist devotees, Swyambunath is also called "The Monkey Temple." You can have an amazing view of whole Kathmandu Valley from here. In the late afternoon, we'll head towards the significant Hindu Shrine of Pashupatinath. Spend the evening in the Stupa of Boudhanath and experience the delights of Tibetan Buddhism from one of the rooftop restaurants here. Return and rest in your hotel. Overnight at Thamel, Kathmandu.
After early morning breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel. You will exit the valley and head westwards by the Prithvi Highway. The scenic drive beside the mighty Trishuli River will be an amazing hill driving experience. We will take occasional breaks in the small villages in the way and try some local snacks. After you turn right from the Malekhu Bridge, we will drive further to Calendar and Arughat Bazaar. Arughat is an essential commercial center for the people of these areas. It is also the junction separating remote Dhading with the Manaslu region. From here an hour of a further drive will take you to the Market Bazaar. We will then have options either a hike (1 hour) or drive to the Soti Khola village. Most people like to hike there, but the alternative is yours to choose. Overnight at a lodge in Soti Khola.
After your breakfast, be ready for the first day of your hike to Maccha Khola. Today will mostly be a plain walk midst of lush sub-tropical forests. After leaving the Soti Khola, you will follow the Budi Gandaki River. The trail quickly narrows down into a typical jungle as we head towards the valley side. Passing some villages in the way, we will make our way to Lapu Besi. The trail widens as we walk between the terraced hills farmlands. After walking about an hour, we descend steeply beside the river bed and continue a small path to a steep valley side. Towards the end of today's hike, we will have a gradual rise reaching Macchakhola at 870 meters. Overnight at a guest house in Macchakhola.
Our stretch of the trek today will give you the best taste of the lower Himalayan region in the Manaslu region. Most of our walk will be beside the mighty Budi Gandaki River. Starting early we will head towards the village of Khorla village. You can have your breakfast here or walk further to Tatopani where the hot spring lies. Stopping briefly at Tatopani, we will continue our journey to Jagat. Switching the banks of Gandaki by steel suspension bridges, we will stay in the exposed and somewhat challenging trail to Doban. We will have our lunch here and push further to Lauri. In the final part of the trek today we will have a steep hike from Lauri crossing the suspension bridge to reach Jagat.
After our breakfast, we will have our permits of the Manaslu region checked before starting the trek at Jagat. After a quick descend to the riverside, we will have an uphill hike. After some further hiking, we will reach the hill of Salleri popular for the fantastic Sringi Himal 7187 m view and refreshing breeze. We will cross the Gandaki River once again and continue our way up to the gorge. Crossing the river three more times ascending from one hill to another. The difficult trail continues and a steep uphill to Philim then to Ekle Bhatti. From here we will change the Manaslu circuit trail and shift to the left Tsum valley path. We will walk to Lokpa from here and rest for the day here. Overnight at a lodge in Lokpa.
Our trek will descend towards the Lungwa Khola in the first part of the trek. We will then move through a zig-zag trail uphill leading to the pine forests. We will cross a couple of ridges with rhododendron patches and reach the village of Ghumlung. From the Ghumlung village, we will cross a bridge over the Siyar Khola and take the trail on the other side leading to Chumling. Chumling lies in the lower Tsum region of the trek and gives us some of the pristine views of the Shiringi Himal. We will rest for today at a lodge here. Overnight at Chumling.
After breakfast, visit the Chumling gompa in the village before starting the trek off to Chhekamparo. We will commence the trek of today by crossing the bridge near the village. Continuing in the trail beside the Serpu Khola and pass it from the Rainjam village. After a hike of about an hour, we will reach a small valley of Gho. Take a brief stop here and visit the monastery at Gho holding many Buddhist legends and stories. From Gho we will have a gradual ascent for a couple of hours to the village of Chhekamparo. Overnight at a lodge in Chhekamparo.
Our trail for today's trek crosses one of the religiously most remarkable caves of the Tsum and Manaslu region, the Milarepa cave. Similar to the cave of Tibet, there are local legends that the great saint Milarepa once mediated in the premises of the cave. We will pass the villages of Ngakyu, Leru, and Lamagaon to reach the cave. Also known as the 'Piren Phu '(Pigeon Cave), we can view excellent landscape scenery from here. Out trek to Nile village continues passing the settlements of Burji, Phurbe, and Phandun and reach Nile in the late afternoon. Overnight at a lodge in Nile.
After breakfast, we will begin the trek to the Mu Gompa. This segment of the trail is the closest to the Tibetan border in the Upper T-sum region. We will climb up from Nile enjoying the views of landscape both of the Tibetan and Nepali side for a couple of hours and reach Mu Gompa. The Gompa is the largest of Tsum region and one of the most significant places for the children of the area to learn about Buddhism and be a Monk. You can explore the premises and building, viewing the art and architecture of this beautiful Monastery. After spending some tie in Mu Gompa, we will also visit the Dhepu Doma Gompa on our way back to Nile. Overnight at a lodge in Nile.
We will start our return trek from the village of Nile to Chhekamparo. Our trail is the same one giving us the opportunities to revisit some of our favorite places and people once more before we go. We will visit the Rachen Gompa in Lar village and spend some time here. Passing by the small settlements and villages, we will reach Chhekamparo in the late afternoon. Overnight at a lodge in Chhekamparo.
We will trek back to the village of Lokpa today. Our trail is descending gradually for the most part so we will do the two days part previously as a single day trek. Starting early we will cross the bridges of Serpu Khola and Siyar Khola in our trek today. We will take a brief lunch break in the Chumling village. The views of Ganesh and Siringi Himal are pristine from the trail here. Passing by the village of Ghumlung, we will walk through the rhododendron forest and reach Lokpa after an hour or so. We’ll rest for the day at Lokpa. Overnight at a lodge in Chhekamparo.
We will have a comparatively easy trek today to the Jagat village from Lokpa. Most of the walking today is downhill, and we can stop to enjoy the views in the way. Our trail also passes by numerous small and big waterfalls where we can make a brief stop and freshen up. Crossing multiple suspension bridges over the Budi Gandaki River, we will reach Jagat in the late afternoon. Overnight at a lodge in Jagat.
This part of our trail is a great opportunity to explore the hill culture of the Gorkha region. We can make brief stops in the villages here and try some local cuisine. Our trail will pass picturesque terraced hill farmlands, and we will have a refreshing breeze to accompany us in this trek. We will pass by the village of Tatopani where we can enjoy the hot springs and relax for a bit. From Tatopani, we will walk in the relaxed trail patched between a sub-tropical jungle and finally reach the village of Maccha Khola. Overnight at a lodge in Macchakhola.
We will enjoy the nature and green hills in today's segment of the trek to Soti Khola. As the last day of our T-sum Valley trek, we will take our time pausing in the trail and enjoying the views and hill culture of central Nepal. Our trail passes through two beautiful tropical waterfalls where you can spend some time and take pictures. Our path is beside the mighty Budi Gandaki River for most of the time and reaches the Sotikhola village. Overnight at a lodge in Sotikhola village.
We will trek to Arughat after breakfast in Soti Khola. Once there you will have a quick break and head towards Kathmandu comfortably. A scenic drive in the hills of about five hours will take you back to your hotel in the late afternoon. Rest and head towards the street markets of Thamel after reaching your hotel. Thamel is the best place to buy some authentic Nepali souvenirs from all over the country. You can also enjoy the lively nightlife here before returning to your hotel.
After your breakfast today, we will drive to the city of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is only about 45 minutes’ drive from your hotel. The first site of today will be the Historical Bhaktapur durbar (palace) square. The Palace was the ruling palace of Malla Kings before Kathmandu city. The golden gate temple, Palace of Fifty-five windows, and the Nyatapola temple square are some of the major attractions in and around the Palace. You can visit the painting schools here, view the Thangkas, and artforms around this fantastic city. You can taste the local Newari cuisine and the famous king curd (Juju Dhau) in Bhaktapur. Return to your hotel and stroll around Thamel in your evening today. Overnight at Kathmandu.
You will depart from the TIA to your home or next destination. We will have a farewell breakfast together and drive to the airport a couple of hours before the flight. Return with lifelong memories and thrilling adventure from the Tsum valley trek.
What's Included/Excluded
Accommodation
- Four-nights Hotel in Kathmandu with B/B basis
Meals
- Welcome and farewell dinner at Nepali Kitchen
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and Tea/coffee) while on the trek
Transportation
- Airport pick-ups and drops in a private vehicle
- All ground transportation on a comfortable private vehicle as per the itinerary
Extras
- Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu/Entrance fee
- All necessary paperwork and Special Manasalu/T-sum Valley Restricted Area Permit, Manasalu Conservation Area Project/TIMS
- Professional & government licensed holder English Speaking Guide
- Entrance fee of all Monastery & Museums in T-sum Valley Region
- Porter service (2 trekkers: 1 porter)
- Staff costs including their salary, insurance, equipment, food, Transportation and accommodation
- Warm clothing and other required trekking gear for staff including porters woolen hat, gloves, shocks, shoes & sunglasses etc…
- Trekking Map
- Medicine Box for Guide/Porters
- All government and local taxes
Not Included
- International Airfare and Nepal Visa fee
- Travel & Health Insurance
- Emergency Helicopter Rescue Insurance
- Lunch & Dinner in Kathmandu
- Any Alcoholic Drinks, Mineral water and deserts in Trek
- Battery Charges, International call, WIFI & Internet on Trek
- Unforeseen Cost such as Flight Cancellation
- Tips for guides and porters
Notes
* Your big Luggage should be 12 kg each without your Carry bag (small bag). You have to carry 4/5 kg with a small bag during you walking on the Trekking. Your small bag should be over 30 to 40L.
* You have to bring personal medicine box for the mountain. You have to good physical condition is necessary to travel in Nepal. It is recommended to go to doctor for a checkup before coming to Nepal.
Reviews
Paula
France
Trek manasalu
Je recommande cette agence. Humanite, professionnalisme, securite, au top dans tous les domaines. On apprend tant de choses au niveau culturel et societal en voyageant avec eux. Sans oublier la bonne humeur et l humour.
13 Dec 2019
Martin Odile
France
Au top!
Je recommande cette agence. Aux petits soins avec les trekkeurs. Nous avons pu avoir un trek sur mesure pour notre groupe d amis. Professionnalisme, sérieux, bonne humeur, tout y était! Nous reviendrons.
13 Dec 2019